Stop-motion for circular-knitting machines.



No. 637,929. Patented Nov. 28, I899.

w. J. FE RRIS. STUP MOTION FDRCIBCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Nov 28, I899. w. J. FERRIS. STOP MOTION FOR CIRCULAR KNITTINGMACHINES.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.

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\YILLIAM J. FERR IS, OF WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND.

STOP-MOTION FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,929. dated November28,1899.

Application filed December 28, 1898- Serial No. 7430,5457. (No model.)

To all whom it rim/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FERRIS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Woonsocket, in the county of Providence andState of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Stop-Motions for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a combination of parts adapted to operate inconnection with the ordinary stop-motion as used for circularknittingmachines, whereby the machine is instantly stopped when the presser-footengages with a hole or such imperfection in the fabric during theprogress of knitting; and the invention consists'in the construction ofparts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a circularknitting machine, showing the arrangement of parts of my invention aswhen the machine is running. Fig. 2 is a vertical radial section ofthesame,taken in line 5a m, Fig. 1, and showing the relative position of mydevice with the presser-foot bearing upon the knitted fabric. Fig. 3 isan enlarged end view of the presser-foot,showin g the form the knittedfabric assumes when passing beneath the same. Fig. 4 is a front View ofthe guide-box which carries the presserfoot and its trip-lever, said boxbeing partially broken away to show the same. Fig. 5 is a top plan Viewof Fig. 1 without the knitted fabric and showing the stop-motion with myimprovement as when the machine is in operation. Fig. 6 is a front sideelevation of the same,showin g the position the attachment assumes whenthe machine is stopped by a broken needle or imperfect-ion in the cloth.Fig. 7 is a portion of the bed of the machine, partially broken away andshowing the ordinary construction of spring-plug for holding theshipping-lever while the machine is running. Fig. 8 is a similar Viewshowing the shipping-lever disconnected from the plug and the hand-leverthrown up, as when the machine is stopped.

Like letters of reference correspond to similar parts in the drawings.

Arepresents the bed of the machine; B, the needle-cylinder; D, thestandard, having a base-plate screwed to the top of the bed; E, thehand-lever, pivoted on the base-plate of the standard; F, the vertical1atch-ar1n,piv-

oted on the base-plate of the standard and engaging the end of thehand-lever E; G, the horizontal angle lever, pivoted to the top plate ofthe standard and having a latch end to engage on the vertical latch-arm,and H the shipping-lever and its releasing mechanism, as shown in Fig.7, all these parts being of the ordinary form and arrangement, withwhich my improvement acts in conjunction.

The top portion of the standard is of a forkshaped form, having two carsh h, in which is journaled the angle-shaft z. The extended portion ofthe shaft 1) turns inwardly for a short distance and radially with thecenter of the cylinder, and mounted upon this extremity is the guide-boxj, and, as will be observed by referring to Fig. 2, the box is situateddirectly over the path of the needles and carries the presser-foot m,which bears against the surface of the knitted fabric. Said box is adjustably secured on the shaft by a setscrew Z, which enters a projectinglug 7c, integral with its outer side. (See Fig. 2.) This guide-boxcarries two levers, the presser-foot lever on, which is pivoted on thestud 0, and its tripping-lever n, pivoted on the Stud 19, respectively.Both levers are in the same plane and inclosed within the box by the cap'2', through which are inserted the studs, having their endsscrew-threaded to fit in the outer side of the box, as illustrated invertical section in Fig. 2.

The tripping-lever "/2, is of a bell-crank form, having one of its armsprojecting rearwardly from the box and pulled by the spring s,which hasits opposite end connected with the top of the box. The movement of saidlever is limited by the shoulder 25. (See Fig. 4..) The inner arm of thelever '12 has its lower extremity overlapping the edge of thepresserfoot and holds the same in this position while the machine isknitting the cloth perfect.

Between the ears 7?. h of the standard is a stop-arm it, which isadjustably secured on the shaft 1' by a set-screw. Another arm 1;,integral with the shaft and situated on the inner side of the standard,is made to engage with the horizontal angle-lever G, pivoted to the topplate of the standard.

3' is the pull-spri ng,which keeps the presserfoot in contact with thecloth, its upper end connecting with the extended portion of theshaftand its lower end connected to a projecting stud screwed to theside of the standard.

In referring to Fig. 5, it) represents a wire guide adjustably securedto the top of the inside stationary plate of the machine, said wirehaving its outer portion curving closely with and to the inner side ofthe needles and on a level with the same. As the cylinder revolves thiswire guides the knitted fabric and is held down upon the same by thepresser-foot in the form as shown in vertical section in Fig.

The operation of the above described mechanism isasfollows:Assumingtheattachment to be in the position as illustrated in Fig. 1 andthe cylinder revolving in the arrow direction, if from any cause aneedle should break or a hole should be made in the fabric during theprogress of knitting, by the time the cloth with such imperfectionpasses upon the guide-wire w the edge of the presser-foot will strikeagainst the edge of the hole in the cloth, and the movement of the clothas it revolves with the cylinder will tilt the presserfoot around fromengagement with the springcontrolled trip-lever n, and the guide-boxwill be brought downward by the action of the pull-spring s to theposition as indicated in Fig. 6, which movement is limited by theadjustable stop-arm u,set-screwed to the shaft and which strikes againstthe top plate of the standard, and by the time this movement takes placethe inner arm "U of the said shaft will have swung rearwardly thehorizontal latchlever G from engagement with the vertical latch-arm F,and finally the action of the spring-plug situated in the bed-plate (seeFig. 8) will have released the shipping-lever H, and thus stop themachine.

p is a block screwed to the outer side of one of the plates of thecylinder, adapted to pass under the end of the suspended wire 71', saidblock supporting the same until the seam y of the cloth has passed thepresser-foot.

To set my improvement for operating, the guide-box is lifted up from thecylinderand the angle-lever n is pressed downward with suficientmovement to allow the presser-foot to swing around by gravity to avertical position, after which the lever n is released and its bottomedge overlaps the top edge of the presser-foot and holds the same in itsnormal position, as shown in Fig. at. The shippinglever H is thenbrought forward and held in place by the spring-plug in the bed of themachine. (See Fig. 7.) Said plug is pressed downward by the hand-leverE, which movement carries the vertical bell-crank lever to engage uponthe latch end of the horizontal lever G. The inner arm of the saidhorizontal lever bears against the fixed arm '2) of the shaftandconstitutes the arrangementofparts forming the stop-motion, when themachine is knitting, as represented in Fig. 1.

It will be perceived that in my improved device the presser-foot islocated and operative in a vertical plane and parallel to the contiguousneedles.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a stop-motion for circular-knitting machines having ashipping-lever an oscillating angle-shaft, and means intermediate saidlever and shaft whereby the latter is enabled to control the operationof the former, the combination therewith of a guide-box mounted upon theinner end of said angleshaft and consisting of two parallel plates oneof which has an internal shoulder, a presser foot centrally pivoted atthe lower end of the guide-box between said plates and extendingdownward therefrom, a bell-crank lever centrally pivoted in saidguide-box between said plates and having its lower end engageable withthe upper end of said presser-foot, and a spring extending from theupper end of said bell-crank lever to the top of the guide-box andacting normally to hold the upper arm of said lever in contact with saidshoulder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a stop mechanism for circular-knitting machines having ashipping-lever, and an oscillating shaft, with means intermediate saidlever and shaft, whereby the latter is enabled to control the operationof the former, the combination therewith of a guide-box mounted upon theend of said shaft, in which box are pivotally mounted a presser-foot andbell-crank lever engaging each other at their contiguous ends, and aspring from the top of said box to the upper end of said bellcranklever, substantially as described.-

3. In a stopmotion for circular-knitting machines having ashipping-lever, an oscillating shaft, and means whereby the latter isenabled to control the former, a guide-box secured to said shaft, apresser-foot centrally pivoted at the lower end of the guide-box in avertical plane thereof, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in said boxand having its lower end engageable with the upper end of thepresser-foot, a spring extending from the upper arm of said bell-cranklever to the upper end of said box, a wire having one end fastened tothe upper arm of said bell-crank lever and extending downward to a pointbelow the top of the needles, a block or lug secured to one of theplates of the cylinder movable therewith, adapted to support said wireto prevent the presser-foot from being tripped while the seam in thefabric passes the same, with the wire guard to supported at one endwithin the machine, its outer end WILLIAM J. FERRIS.

lVitnesses:

ROBERT W. BURBANK, AUGUSTA S. MEREWETHER.

